1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus and process for improved efficiency of a sensible heat exchanger wheel in an open cycle desiccant cooling system. Diverging and converging partitions between the desiccant wheel and heat wheel in an open cycle desiccant cooling system provide unequal sized segments of the desiccant wheel and heat wheel exposed to process and regeneration gas streams in a manner which improves the efficiency of the heat wheel and allows reduction in rotational speed of the heat wheel to obtain high cooling efficiencies.
2. Description of Related Art
Rotary gas treating apparatus of a wide variety are known. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,895,580 and 5,167,679 teach gas adsorption and desorption on regenerative rotary devices. Rotary dehumidifiers which are thermally regenerable are taught by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,134,743 and 4,926,618. Rotary heat exchangers are taught by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,497,361 and 5,183,098.
Open cycle desiccant cooling systems using rotary sensible heat exchanger wheels and regenerable desiccant wheels are well known, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,889,742; 3,774,374; 4,729,774; 4,887,438; 4,948,392; 4,594,860; and 5,170,633. Staged heating of only the regeneration stream using parallel partitions between the heat wheel and the desiccant wheel forming equal sized segments of the heat wheel and desiccant wheel is taught by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,889,742 and 4,948,392. Parallel partitions in the regeneration stream between the heat wheel and the desiccant wheel forming equal size segments in these wheels and parallel partitions in the process stream between the desiccant wheel and the heat wheel forming equal size segments in these wheels to obtain stratified inlet temperature to the heat wheel is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 4,594,860. Stratified heat recovery in the process steam to effect profiling of temperatures in the regeneration stream to obtain higher temperatures toward the hotter zone of a desiccant bed is taught be U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,774.
The emphasis for increased performance of open cycle desiccant cooling systems has focused on increasing the effectiveness of the desiccant wheel, as exemplified by R. K. Collier, Jr., D. Novosel and W. M. Worek, "Performance Analysis of Open-Cycle Desiccant Cooling Systems", ASHRAE Transactions 1990, V. 96, Pt. 1, AT 90-19-2, (1990) and W. M. Worek, W. Zheng, W. A. Belding, D. Novosel and W. D. Holeman, "Simulation of Advanced Gas-Fired Desiccant Cooling Systems", ASHRAE In-91-4-2, pg. 609-614, (1991).